Tibetan and Himalayan Library - THL

Notes

[1] Today each of the colleges
teach the entire exoteric scholastic curriculum, but there is some evidence
that in the early days colleges were somewhat specialized. Hence, Desi Sanggyé Gyatso states that at Drepung’Bras spungs, “GomangSgo mang,
LosellingBlo gsal gling, TösamlingThos bsam gling,
a.k.a. GyelwaRgyal ba, and ShakkorShag skor were the
colleges that were principally responsible for Madhyamaka and Prajñāpāramitā; Monastic Discipline (Dülwa’dul ba pa), i.e., Vinaya College
was principally responsible for [the
Buddha’s] first series of teachings,
the dharma-wheel of the four [noble] truths; DeyangBde yangs was responsible for the Pramāṇa [tradition] of the Lord
of Reasoning, Dharmakīrti;
and NgakpaSngags pa
(i.e., the Tantric College)
[was responsible for] the profound vehicle of the Tantra,
focusing on [the deities] Guhyasamāja and
Yamāntaka” (Sde srid sangs rgyas rgya mtsho, Dga’ ldan chos ’byung bai dūrya ser po [Mtsho sngon:
Zhin hwa dpe tshong khang,
1991], 105).

[2] In the case of Drepung’Bras spungs, it was the
founder of the monastery, the first throne-holder, Jamyang Chöjé’Jam dbyangs chos rje (1379-1449), who created the colleges. In
the case of SeraSe ra, the historical sources are inconsistent. Some say that it was
SeraSe ra’s founder, Jamchen ChöjéByams chen chos rje (1354-1435), himself, who founded the colleges; others
claim that it was the third throne-holder, Gungru Gyeltsen ZangpoGung ru rgyal mtshan bzang po (1383-1450), who was
responsible for instituting colleges. In the case of GandenDga’ ldan, while there
appears to have been a quasi-college structure early on, it was the third
holder of the GandenDga’ ldan throne, Khedrup Gelek PelzangMkhas grub dge legs dpal bzang
(1385-1438), who was
responsible for converting these into philosophical colleges.

[3] The words instructor (chenyenpa’chad nyan pa), or master (lamabla ma), are also used to designate this office in the early
period.

[4] At SeraSe ra there were initially four colleges,
as we shall see; at GandenDga’ ldan there were two; and at Drepung’Bras spungs, seven.

[5] This was a
formal position, the administrative head of the regional house. The tantric
college (at least at SeraSe ra) had no regional houses, however.

[6] See, for example, The Great Treatise on the Stages
of the Path to Enlightenment by Tsong-kha-pa
(Ithaca: Snow Lion, 2001-2004), 3 vols.,
trans. The Lamrim Chenmo Translation Committee, ed. Joshua W. C. Cutler and Guy Newland. And for a review:
http://www.buddhistethics.org/8/cozor011.html.

[7] Of course, the GelukpaDge lugs pa were not
the first to evolve scholastic academies. In fact, many early GelukpaDge lugs pa were
trained in the academies of the SakyaSa skya school, the most
famous of which was Sangpu NeutokGsang phu sne’u thog. SangpuGsang phu, in turn, was modeled on Indian Buddhist academies like
Nālanda and Vikramaśīla.

[8] The granting of the title of geshédge bshes was a later
development in the GelukDge lugs
academies, although titles like this
predate the founding of the GelukDge lugs school.

[11] One wonders whether this might not have something to do with the
fact that at the time of its founding the original monks of Lha bzang khang’s
private ritual college were most likely monks from the capital.

[17]
The monks hold elections for the abbot, and the names of the
senior teachers who achieve the highest number of votes are presented in a list
to
His Holiness the Dalai Lama\, who then makes the final selection.

[19] Individually, monks who belong to the Mé College often do, however, still read the textbooks of Khedrup Tenpa DargyéMkhas grub bstan pa dar rgyas (Khedrup TendarMkhas grub bstan dar).

[20] This is not to say,
however, that the present Tantric College
assembly hall is
necessarily the very same temple built by the founder of SeraSe ra, Jamchen ChöjéByams chen chos rje, in
1419.

[21] One wonders whether this might not have
something to do with the fact that at the time of its founding the original monks
of Lhazang KhangLha bzang khang’s private
ritual college were most likely monks from the capital.